Words of Hope: Recent Episodes
Ron Burtz
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This sermon preached on Christmas Eve 2023 asks the question, "What shall we name the baby?" It's a discussion of the various names and titles applied to Jesus of Nazareth as a means to discovering His true identity and revealing His glory.
The Westminster Confession of Faith states, “The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.”As stated above, those who were at the forefront of the Protestant Reformation which began in 1517 took as one of their rallying cries the position that the Bible alone is the only guide for the faith and practice of the Christian. Therefore, it is called the Formal Principle of the Reformation. This message will be the first in a series looking at the 5 Solas, or foundational pillars, of the Reformation. It examines the authority and sufficiency of Scripture in the life of the church and the individual believer.
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from imprisonment in Rome awaiting trial before Emperor Nero. In the letter he expresses his doubts about whether he will will ever live as a free man again. And yet, this epistle is filled with references to joy and rejoicing and an abiding confidence in Almighty God is evident throughout. What was the source of Paul's confidence? How could he have peace in the midst of such uncertainty about his circumstances? In this sermon, Pastor Ron Burtz survey's the Book of Philippians to discover the reasons for the apostle's confident assurance and trust in the Sovereign God.
In this third sermon in the series How to Stand Firm in Christ, based on Philippians 4:1-9, Pastor Ron Burtz takes us through two more strategies for standing firm in the faith. Verse 8 deals with what we feed our minds and the importance of thinking Christianly. You are what you train your mind on. Then in dealing with verse 9 we'll talk about the importance of putting feet to our faith and putting in to practice the truths we find in God's Word.
Two more keys to standing firm in Christ—finding spiritual stability—are revealed in this message, the second in the series, "How to Stand Firm in Christ." In Philippians 4:4-7 the Apostle Paul calls on his readers to have an attitude of joyful humility and to worry about nothing but bring every care to God in prayer.
We live in an uncertain and downright dangerous world that can leave us feeling shaken and scared. But God's Word calls believers to stand firm like a faithful soldier defending his post and the Bible offers hope and strategies for finding spiritual stability amidst the storms of life. This is the first message in a series of sermons on Philippians 4:1-9 that help us learn seven important strategies for standing firm in Christ. This message will focus on verses 1-3 and calls Christians to make sure they have a biblical foundation and biblical relationships.
Like people, government leaders and businesses, sometimes local churches lose their way and forget why we're here and what our true mission is in this world. This sermon is a reminder that the church exists to have a dynamic relationship with God through worship, prayer and the Word, a dynamic relationship with other believers through true and authentic Christian fellowship and a dynamic relationship with unbelievers through evangelism.
While the word "repentance" is found throughout the Bible in both Old and New Testaments, it seems to have fallen out of favor in the church in our day. It is thought by many to be a negative term, and yet it was at the forefront of the ministries of John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the Apostles. This message seeks to correct that misunderstanding and show the priority the Bible places upon repentance in the conversion of sinners and a lifestyle of true biblical repentance.
In this study of Romans 1, Ron Burtz attempts to answer the questions "Where are we as a culture?" and "How did we decline so far and so fast?" This message looks at such biblical themes as the righteousness and wrath of God, the glorious gospel of Christ and how a society gets into a situation of being abandoned by God.
A message delivered to the annual Love One Another Banquet at Victory Baptist Church, Fullerton, NE on February 24, 2023. This message defines the Greek words Agape (love) and koinonia (fellowship) and calls the church to love one another with the love of Christ and live in God's intrusive community in true Christian fellowship.
In this final service at Hope Christian Reformed Church, former Pastor John Keizer returns to preach a special closing message to the congregation. Preaching from John 11 and the account of the Lord's raising of Lazarus, Pastor John brings a powerful message about the glory of God as it is displayed in all the events of our lives both happy and sad. The service closes with the congregation singing "All Glory Be to Christ."
In a very personal address, Pastor Ron Burtz presents his final sermon to the congregation of Hope Christian Reformed Church. At the same time he takes the opportunity to look at Acts 2:42-47 to ask and answer the question about the church, "Why Are We Here?"
Numerous songs and poems emphasize the fact that "Love came down at Christmas," but what kind of love is this? Why kind of love would motivate the Creator of the universe to become human Himself and go to a cross to suffer and die for the very creatures who had rebelled against Him? Agape love. That's what kind of love came at Christmas. Join us as we explore this wonderful Greek word and see how God's love is made manifest in the story of the incarnation of Christ.
Joy and its cousins rejoice and rejoicing is one of the most common terms in the traditional biblical Christmas narratives in Matthew and Luke. What could be the source of such unparalleled joy? It was the news that God had come in the form of a tiny baby. This message is meant to help the listener find true Christmas joy through even in hard times through the application of a simple formula that involves Jesus, Others and You.
The world is looking for what it calls peace and, especially at Christmastime, the calls for world peace and harmony between nations and people groups seems to ramp up. But is that the kind of "peace on earth" the angels were talking about when they sang "peace on earth, goodwill toward men?" This sermon examines the peace of Christmas showing that the announcement of the angels was one of declaring peace between God and those who would repent and trust the Christ of the manger and the cross.
Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. Four words that are intimately associated with the Christmas season. In this Advent series, Pastor Ron Burtz shows how those four terms and concepts form the message of Christmas to the world. This message deals with Hope and shows Christ as the only hope for mankind.
Throughout this series we have asked and answered the question "How does a person get right with God?" showing how each of the 5 solas of the Reformation brings a part of the answer. Today we consider what may be the ultimate existential question: "What is the meaning of life?" In a world where ultimate truth and the God of the Bible have been rejected, that is a difficult question to answer. This message show that only by looking to the glory of our Creator can we find the answer that brings meaning and true significance to life. Join us as we consider the fifth and final cry of the Reformation—Soli Deo Gloria.
The Apostle Paul wrote to his protege, young Pastor Timothy, "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." Christ alone is the Savior, the sacrifice for sinners and the mediator between God and man. This sermon examines the meaning of the cry of the Reformers, "Sola Christos," and celebrates the salvation found in Christ alone.
The doctrine of Justification by Faith, embodied in the Latin phrase Sola Fide could not be more clear in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved by faith..." This was the defining material principle of the Protestant Reformation and it remains for all time the focus of true Christian faith. In this message we'll see the two faces of faith—faith to save and faith to live.
Songwriter John Newton wrote "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." God's grace is truly amazing and is both the power to save and to live the Christian life. In this message we'll look at the meaning of grace and how it applies to our salvation and sanctification.
The Bible—the written Word of God—has been called the formal cause of the Reformation. The Reformers of 500 years ago were guided by a belief that the Bible was God's revelation of Himself to mankind and was the final authority for salvation, faith and practice. This message highlights the authority of Scripture as well as its sufficiency for salvation and spiritual growth.
The five Solas—Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christos and Soli Deo Gloria—form the foundational truths of the Protestant Reformation which began 504 years ago in Europe. Over the next five weeks we will be looking at each of them to understand their meaning and importance. Today we read from chapter one of Nate Pickowicz's 2017 book "Why We're Protestant: An Introduction to the Five Solas of the Reformation" to learn the origins of the reformation to which we all are spiritual heirs.
Repentance—a 180 degree turn from one's sin to the Savior—is an essential element in salvation, along with faith in Christ alone. However, repentance is also an ongoing discipline of the Christian life and part of our progressive sanctification. In this message we take a close look at 2 Corinthians 7 to learn about the kind of sorrow that leads to true repentance.
What happens to the souls of children who die before an "age of accountability?" It's an important question, especially to those who have lost a child to miscarriage, illness or accident. In this message we try to give a thoughtful, biblical answer to the question that we hope will bring comfort and healing.
If you want to start an argument in most churches just bring up the subject of the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. With all the differing viewpoints, is there anything Bible-believing Christians agree on about the Second Coming? Yes, there is actually. Quite a lot. In this message Pastor Ron Burtz unveils six key truths about the Second Coming that form the word "future" in an acrostic.
The opening verses of 1 Corinthians 6 say in the future the saints of God will judge the world and angels. What does the Apostle Paul mean by these statements? In the story in Joshua of the Israelite conquest of Jericho the heroine of the story, Rahab the prostitute tells a lie to protect the Israeli spies hiding on her rooftop. Did God approve of the lie and is there ever a time when lies are part of God's plan? This sermon attempts to answer those questions in a way that gives glory to Christ the King and celebrates the salvation He alone offers.
We tackle just one question in this message, but it's a good and important one because it gets to the heart of the gospel and the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth. The question is: Abraham is visited by three men at Mamre (Genesis 18). The speaker is called “Lord.” Who is this and who are the other two men? Was “Lord” Jesus or had God taken on human form?
Have you ever wondered what you will be in heaven? Will you be a spirit being floating around on a cloud as depicted in popular media or will life in heaven be much like this life only much better and without the stain of sin? Also, will believers know each other in heaven and will our friends and loved ones in this life know us in the next? Also have you ever wondered whether the professing Christian who takes his own life is barred from heaven because of that final sin? Pastor Ron Burtz tackles these two often asked questions in a series Bible Question and Answer sessions that begin today.
While preaching the gospel of the cross seemed foolish to the pagans of Paul's day and equally foolish to lost people and even some in the visible church, it is God's plan for the salvation of the lost and it is powerful to save sinners when it is done God's way. Look for a church that exalts God and preaches the cross.
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians the reason he preached the simple message of Christ crucified and risen rather than using philosophical and rhetorical arguments was because he feared robbing the gospel message of its power. For many years the church in American has used foolish worldly wisdom and marketing techniques to try to get people inside the church. This has been a failure because it is based on several myths which we examine in this message.
The gospel seems like foolishness to the world, but to those of us who being are saved by it, it becomes the means to receiving the wisdom of God in Christ, perfect righteousness, sanctification and redemption by His blood.
The gospel seems like foolishness to the world, but to those of us who are being saved by it, it is the means to receiving the wisdom of God in Christ, perfect righteousness, sanctification and redemption by His blood.
Christians can find joy in giving to the Lord's work because when we do we share in the ministry of the gospel, we will be rewarded, we are engaging in worship and God promises to meet the needs of the giver.
Contentment (being satisfied in Christ alone) is something we can learn as we follow the Holy Spirit through the circumstances of life and learn to depend on God.
To a large degree our emotions are controlled by what we think and believe. Paul tells the Philippians to feast and meditate on the Word of God promising that when we do the God of peace will be with us.
Philippians Chapter 4 begins with a call to stability in Christ as the Apostle Paul urges the church to "stand firm in the Lord." In this message we examine verses 3-7 in which Paul commands the church to find their joy in Christ Jesus and bring every care before the Him in prayer.
Conflict is to be expected within the church so when it comes we are to work to heal the disunity and preserve the unity of the Spirit so that the church can benefit from the conflict rather than being divided. In Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul addresses just such an interpersonal conflict at the church of Philippi.
As God's people we are called to be soldiers of the cross of Christ who stand firm in the face of the world, the flesh and the devil. We can only do that as we put into practice the words of Scripture, making sure we are truly in Christ as his obedient children.
As we progress in sanctification, pressing on to become more and more like Christ, Paul offers three major priorities for pressing on. We are to follow godly examples, flee from enemies of the cross and focus on eternity with an expectant hope.
The goal and purpose of the Christian life is to magnify Christ and display His glory. Passionately pursuing Christ requires a sober self-assessment, a sustained effort, a solid foundation, a singular focus, a steady gaze and a sanctified attitude of perseverance.
The greatest crime and the greatest villain of human history has to be the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot. By looking at the story of Judas compared with that of Mary of Bethany, we can learn lessons about the sovereignty of God and the danger of undervaluing Christ.
The empty grave clothes remind us that Christ's body did not see the corruption of death (as David prophesied) and through his resurrection he conquered the corruption of sin in us that we might have eternal life.
The crown of thorns illustrates that Jesus came to suffer under the curse in order to remove the curse of sin. He became a curse for us.
The word cup is used metaphorically in the Bible to speak of both blessing and the curse of God's wrath. Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God consumed the bitter cup of God's wrath for us so that we might receive the rich blessings of redemption, God's forgiveness and eternal salvation.
God speaks in pictures and the most powerful picture of the gospel is found in the cross of Christ. In the cross the justice and mercy of God met in time and space making the cross a bridge to fellowship with God.
Knowing Christ as Lord and Savior is not only the essence of what it means to be a Christian, but that relationship brings with it five eternal benefits—knowledge, righteousness, power, fellowship and glory.
Knowing Christ as Lord and Savior is the supreme purpose, priority and privilege of life. Nothing this world has to offer begins to compare. In this message Pastor Ron Burtz looks at Philippians 3:7-11 and discusses the great transaction of the Christian life--trading all the pleasures and treasures of this world for the joy of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.
This text for this message is the latter half of Philippians 3:3 which gives a short, powerful description of an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. Such a person worships God in spirit and in truth, boasts in Christ alone and puts no confidence in his own flesh.
The outward sign of circumcision or any other human work is not what saves a person. Sinners must receive a new spiritual heart which comes by faith in Jesus Christ and repentance resulting in rebirth by the Holy Spirit.
Seemingly within days of Pentecost heresies began to arise in the early church and most are still around today in one form or another. Paul addresses the legalistic false teaching of the "Judaizers" in this passage. Christians must beware of false teachings and grow in the knowledge of the truth so they can identify and avoid error.
In this introductory message as we return to our study of Philippians, Pastor Ron Burtz addresses the question of "Where are we as a culture?" In these tumultuous times, it is important to understand where we are in terms of biblical morality and, even more importantly, how we got here. This message takes a quick walk through Romans chapter one to answer those questions.
This is the full 30 minute audio of the original short story "Simeon's Encounter" which was read in serial fashion at the beginning of each sermon during the four weeks of Advent. It is based on Luke 2:25-35 and Galatians 4:4-7.
The purpose for the incarnation is the redemption of sinners. Each of us must make room for Jesus through repentance and faith in order to experience that redemption and receive adoption as children of God and the inheritance that comes with it.
In Galatians 4:4-5 the Apostle Paul reminds us that Christ, the Son of God was incarnated in human flesh in order to seek and save that which was lost and to redeem a people unto Himself. Each of us must bow before Him, repent of sin and trust Christ in order to be redeemed from death and hell.
God's timing is different from ours which often leads to frustration and distress on our part but it is perfect as seen in the perfect timing of the birth of Jesus. Like the Old Testament saints, we must learn to wait on Him.
This message based on various biblical texts reminds us that thanksgiving is important and even essential to vital Christian living. The discipline of giving thanks to God is a powerful tool for life because it is the will of God for you.
In this message, based on Philippians 2:19-24, we are introduced to Paul's two companions and co-workers in the ministry of the gospel--Timothy and Epaphroditus. In these two men we find real life, human examples of what the Christian life should look like.
In this message, based on Philippians 2:19-30, Pastor Ron Burtz looks at the power of a godly example and begins a look at four exemplary men who set such examples for us to follow.
Philippians 2:6-11 details the eight steps of Christ's humbling to become our Savior. He stepped down from the splendor and glory of heaven to become like us in our humanity and thus became the perfect sacrifice for sin. This message examines the result of that humiliation by looking at the exaltation of Christ by God the Father. He is resurrected, ascended, crowned and becomes our intercessor with the Father. Join us as Pastor Ron Burtz celebrates the exaltation of Christ to become Lord of all.
The Bible calls followers of Christ to be as one in a unique unity that only God's people can know. The path to maintaining that unity (which is created by the Holy Spirit) is an attitude of humble service that puts the needs of others above our own. The Apostle Paul shows in Philippians 2:5-11 that Christ is the ultimate model of that unity and calls believers to have the same attitude as that of Christ in His incarnation, earthly life and especially in his death on the cross. Join us as Ron Burtz unpacks from this passage important truths about the humbling of Christ for us.
One of the greatest dangers faced by any church or ministry is disunity. The enemy uses his divide and conquer strategy to great effect among Christians. In Paul's letter to the Philippians he tackles that subject in chapter 2:1-5 by showing believers the motivations, marks and means of Christian unity. In this message Ron Burtz looks at those marks and means showing how the church can maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.
Christ prayed that his followers would be unified and the New Testament continuously calls believers to be one in Christ. The Apostle Paul also addresses the priority of unity with the Philippian church which apparently had some internal strife. In this message Ron Burtz looks at Philippians 2:1 and pulls out four motivations for Christian unity that are rooted in our mutual relationship with Christ.
Although many don't seem to realize it every Christian is a combatant in a conflict between God and the forces of evil and this world system under the control of Satan. God does not leave us without resources in the battle, however. In this message, Ron Burtz spells out the second pair of four C words that describe the spiritual tools that give us Courage For the Conflict.
As followers of Christ, we are in a battle and we are not alone. We have been placed in a team (which is also referred to as an army) and we need each other. In this message based on Philippians 1:27 Ron Burtz looks at our motivation for serving our Captain and gives the first two of four "Cs" that help us have Courage for the Conflict we all face.
In Philippians 1:20 the Apostle Paul expresses his expectant hope that he will not be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that Christ will be exalted in his body whether he lives or dies. This message explores the subject of shame when it comes to the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It also poses the question: "Do churches turn to pragmatics, programs, politics, psychology and performance because they are ashamed to simply proclaim the pure gospel from the Word of God?"
Why are modern Americans so reluctant to talk or even think about death? Could it be that most haven't discovered the source of true life? In this message Ron Burtz discusses Philippians 1:19-26 and what could be considered both the key verse of this letter and the Apostle Paul's life verse: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
In Part 2 of this message based on Philippians 1:12-18 Ron Burtz shows ways in which Paul's imprisonment in Rome actually served to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. He also gives practical advice on how we can be ambassadors of the gospel ourselves in in the midst of our own chains and obstacles.
In part 1 of this two part message we look at Philippians 1:12-18 and at how the gospel was advanced through Paul's imprisonment in Rome. Join us as we ask and answer the question of why God allows suffering and seeming roadblocks to the gospel.
In this second message on Paul's prayer for the Philippian Church in 1:9-11, Ron takes a wider view pulling out five essential qualities that should characterize the life of every believer.
In this first message looking at the prayer of Paul for the Philippian church in Phil. 1:9-10, Ron Burtz looks at the concept of Biblical discernment and discusses the importance of being able to distinguish truth from error.
In this third message on the book of Philippians Ron takes a look at the passions of the Apostle Paul, his prayers for the saints and God's promise of security for the believer as expressed in the phrase "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
This is the second message in the Light in the Darkness series which is a study of the book of Philippians. In this second message we conclude our introduction of the letter with a look at the founding of the church at Philippi and how Paul addresses the Christians there.
In part one of Pastor Ron Burtz's series from the letter to the Philippians we take an in depth look at the author and his complete devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is part two of a message on the doctrine of progressive sanctification. In this message Ron Burtz will discuss ditches that need to be avoided in the process of spiritual growth and discuss the process of putting on Christ and putting off sin.
In this message which is part one of a two-part series Ron Burtz discusses the doctrine of sanctification. After defining the terms he outlines the three phases of a Christian's sanctification which begin at conversion and continue through ultimate glorification.
Christians are not immune to the fears and anxieties of life in this world. However, we have the Scriptures to gives us keys to standing firm amid the trials of life. This message is based on Philippians 4:1-9.
In the 21st century repentance is often treated as a harsh and negative word, yet when properly understood it is a concept that brings life and renewal to those who practice it. This is a survey message that looks at the subject of repentance as it appears throughout the Bible and examines its gospel implications.